By 1870, steam power had reached peak dominance in industry, with steam engines powering the majority of manufacturing processes in leading industrial nations. This reliance on steam technology was a hallmark of the Industrial Revolution, enabling mass production and transforming economies. The eventual transition to electricity would further revolutionize industry, but steam power laid the groundwork for modern manufacturing practices.

The peak dominance of steam power in industry around 1870 coincided with modernist precursors reacting to machine-driven alienation. Poets like T.S. Eliot began to explore themes of disconnection and the human experience in an industrialized world, as seen in 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,' which reflects modern anxieties.